Ghana’s favorite radio station, Happy98.9FM has celebrated the high school delicacy, gari by holding the Soak Your Gari party.
The event which reminded Ghanaians of how much the staple food has saved us on numerous occasions and was spearheaded by the all new and interactive Happy Morning Show took place at Happy98.9FM’s forecourt. It was attended by many gari soakings enthusiasts.
Interacting with patrons at the gari party today, many revealed that the party was a great initiative and the time for the gari was quite interesting.
A patron, Emmanuel Owusu disclosed that, “It is a very nice event as a matter of fact. The time for the gari was quite unusual. I was skeptical at the beginning but after taking the gari soakings this morning, I am fired up for work. I will start eating gari in the morning. But wait ooo, the Dr. who brought that finding nu, does he know the gari we have taken from time immemorial till now? He wouldn’t say that if he knew.”
Another patron identified as Isaac Kwaku Ansah congratulated the Happy Morning Team for their efforts in trying to sustain the gari market. “I would like to congratulate the Happy HMS team for this event. I believe the researcher wanted some popularity that’s why he made that statement. But I really appreciate Happy FM’s efforts in trying to sustain the gari making industry. This is a great support to cassava farmers, gari producers and all the market women who sell gari,” he said.
Analise Ama Addo who came to the gari party with her child also disclosed that, she was brought up on the proceeds from gari sales. “My mother sold gari in the market to take care of my siblings and I. The doctor should have advised us on how to properly store the gari and not attack the good old staple food.”
Programmes Manager of Happy98.9FM, Emmanuel Akrumah appreciated sponsors and all who turned up for the gari party. “It was a great initiative we took to support the gari making industry. Dr. Okolo might have meant good, but he should have also thought of the many people dependent on gari. Gari making is an entire industry and supports others as well. The groundnut industry, retailers and shopowners who stock their shops with tins of milk and sugar are all stakeholders in the gari industry,” he said.
He went on to appreciate, PENJEN Ventures which supplied the Happy Morning Show with various blends of gari. “PENJEN ventures went a long way to support the gari soakings party with their various varieties, from the cocoa, ginger, coconut and margarine. Their product and packaging is great and we should all promote local brands like this,” he said.
Happy FM took this initiative a few days after it surfaced that The Director of Public Health, Enugu State, Dr. Boniface Okolo called on all to stop drinking Gari soakings explaining that eating such food can cause Lassa fever.
He said that, the rats that caused the disease were mostly in contact with African most popular staple food ‘gari,’ a cassava product.
Happy FM’s Happy Morning Show undertook this campaign to highlight on the importance of gari and also to endear all lovers of the staple food to properly store it.
Join the trio, Samuel Eshun, Fati Shaibu-Ali and Raymond Nyamador on Happy Morning Show every weekday (Monday to Friday) 5:30am to 9:00am